Bus driver charged in crash that killed pedestrian in Worcester

Thursday

Dec 13, 2012 at 5:00 PMDec 13, 2012 at 5:07 PM

By Scott J. Croteau TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

A former Worcester Regional Transit Authority bus driver is to be arraigned next month on charges of motor vehicle homicide by negligent driving and driving negligently so as to endanger in connection with an accident Sept. 28 that killed a pedestrian on Sagamore Road.

Edward R. Rossi Jr., 70, of 25 Orchard Meadow Drive, Shrewsbury, is scheduled to be arraigned Jan. 17 in Central District Court, according to court records. He is also charged with failing to use care while turning. A complaint containing the charges was issued today after a show-cause hearing before a clerk-magistrate.

Mr. Rossi was at the wheel of a WRTA bus on a rainy night when the bus struck Linda Sneed, 62, of nearby Sigourney Street. Ms. Sneed later died at a local hospital from her injuries.

The accident happened a short distance from the WRTA bus depot. Mr. Rossi has since retired.

According to a statement of facts on file in Central District Court, investigators from the Police Department’s Traffic Division reviewed bus surveillance camera footage and found that Ms. Sneed was six to 10 feet into the road before she was struck.

She was thrown more than 25 feet and landed on the side of the road.

“The video reveals that the operator never came to a complete stop prior to making his left turn,” Police Officer Thomas Feraco said. “Once the pedestrian entered the roadway the operator should have slowed or stopped for her.”

Mr. Rossi never applied the brakes and he should have, the officer wrote in the statement. A test showed Mr. Rossi was not under the influence of alcohol.

Police said it was rainy at the time of the crash and visibility was very poor because of the rain and road glare from traffic. There wasn’t a crosswalk at the location of the crash.

Police determined that the bus was traveling north on Grove Street toward Sagamore Road. Mr. Rossi signaled to go left and a vehicle going south appeared to have slowed to allow him to move the bus onto Sagamore Road. He heard a noise and stopped and saw Ms. Sneed in the gutter off to the side.

“I was driving north on Grove St. and turning west onto Sagamore when an auto coming south slowed to allow me to turn in front of him,” Mr. Rossi said in his statement to police. “As I turned I heard a noise and stopped and found a person in the gutter.”